Moving the knife between his fingers swiftly, it was clear that Xavier's opponent was skilled, and it was almost as if there was a small snake slithering between his fingers.

Staring straight into the slender man's eyes, Xavier couldn't help but feel wary, especially since the person before him was wielding a knife.

One could call it a sixth sense or instinct, but Xavier would always have an idea of an opponent's strength or threat level just from their presence.

Appearances can be deceiving, but it is very hard to mask one's intentions and killing intent, especially in one's eyes.

Backing away, Xavier knew that getting slashed by the knife was inevitable, but considering how small it was and the fact that it wasn't some military-grade knife, handling his opponent with minor injuries was still possible.

And as someone well-versed in kicks, he could strike from quite a distance away.

However, if the opponent could get within range to use their knife, all he could do was attempt to block it with his arms, needing to protect his vitals at all costs.

His mind was racing, and he was still clutching onto composure, but outwardly, he appeared to be afraid, especially since his fierce expression was covered by his mask.

-

Seeing him back away, the Black Hang Gang members began to laugh, believing that Xavier was shaken by the knife that their companion was wielding, but Xavier and his opponent were completely focused on each other.

Xavier was afraid to even blink, with adrenaline coursing through his veins and his heart pulsating at astronomical speeds despite him moving slowly, as his slim opponent suddenly burst towards him.

Slashing towards his stomach, he was surprised to find that Xavier had managed to narrowly avoid his attack, jumping backward and sucking in his stomach.

"Your reflexes are impressive and you are clearly quite skilled, taking down multiple people larger than you. But one unarmed man can only achieve so much, and this knife has cut down many like you before," he stated as he then slashed at Xavier again.

This time, despite how fast Xavier was, he hadn't been able to completely dodge it and he was dealt a narrow cut on his arm.

In the heated state he was in, it didn't hurt much, but the cut was nothing to scoff at, and his opponent was definitely not holding back, attacking with the intent of killing.

And since his heart was beating so quickly, any wound would pour out large amounts of blood, so he couldn't afford to sustain many more of such cuts.

-

Trying his best to remain level-headed, it was clear to Xavier that his opponent was pushing him back and soon he would be backed up against the wall, without any space to dodge his slashes any longer.

He needed to break his opponent's momentum and somehow unarm them or deal them a disorientating blow.

Striking down the slim figure with his power should be relatively easy as long as he lands a clean blow to the head. However, he was much faster than the others he had faced so far, and his knife skills shouldn't be underestimated.

And it wasn't like that was his only opponent, with there being multiple more after him to strike down.

It was also very likely that police would arrive soon after the commotion that the women had caused.

There were so many variables and things to account for, and Xavier was beginning to regret not taking the time to prepare better, but he was by no means backing down or doubting himself.

His anger and the desire to become someone great through the Gangster System completely overwhelmed all the regret that he felt.

He also wasn't wavering in the slightest, but was just remaining vigilant, as he burst backward suddenly and picked up anything around him he could get his hands on.

If his opponent wanted to use his surroundings against him, then he would try to find a way to take advantage of it and counter.

-

Picking up a chair, Xavier flung it towards his opponent, who naturally put his arms up to block the chair from hitting his face, giving him a split second to land an attack on him.

Reflexively, people will almost always put up their arms and close their eyes, to protect their faces, and Xavier was using that to his advantage as he jumped up into the air and followed up the chair with a jump kick.

Launching himself towards his opponent with all his force and momentum, then striking their face with the sole of his foot, Xavier was aiming to take him down in one go.

However, to his surprise and dismay, the slender man had been unfazed by the chair that was flung at him and saw Xavier's attack coming, dodging to the side and avoiding the kick.

While doing so, he also slashed at Xavier's side, which was left vulnerable while he was kicking mid-air.

Not only had his attack been avoided, but he had also been dealt a deep cut to his side that was bleeding quite heavily.

Clutching at his side, Xavier felt a sharp pain. However, that wasn't what worried or affected him most.

What he was worried about was that at the rate he was losing blood, he would definitely be weakened and if he wasn't able to rest and get medical attention soon, he could even die.

The adrenaline rush numbed the pain, but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel the cut and it was much deeper than the slash that had grazed his arm, as he began looking around for a way to escape.

Living was more important and he could get revenge at any time, but his opponent didn't even give him any time to think as he attacked with another knife slash that Xavier was barely able to avoid.

"Despair! You will suffer here, then be crushed like the ant that you are," the psychotic knife-wielder yelled as he laughed maniacally.

-

Xavier had heard about him before and he was known for being crazy and slashing people unsparingly. He was the one that did most of the really dirty work of the Black Hand Gang, and supposedly he is a known killer.

It is said that he had been arrested on charges of murder, but he was released after spending a decade in a mental hospital and had been diagnosed as someone who was mentally unstable.

Whether that was true or not, Xavier didn't know, but the stories seem to have some truth behind them after facing the Crazy Slasher for himself.

-

Continuing to slash at Xavier who was jumping around the open space in the lounge that he had, all the other Black Hand Gang members had moved out of the way, and watched as the masked intruder was attacked viciously.

Even the boss, who had been on the edge of his seat for a moment, when he was watching his subordinates be taken down by the unknown individual, began laughing and relaxed.

In their minds, there was no way that Xavier still had any chance of victory, but fights were never decided until one opponent was no longer able to move or was unconscious.

The tides can always change.